Oneplus Nord CE 3 5G Review - A Budget 5G Smartphone Worth Considering
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 5G is a feature-packed budget 5G smartphone featuring a 6.7" 120Hz AMOLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, a triple rear camera setup (108MP main + 2MP depth + 2MP macro), 16MP selfie camera, 5000mAh battery with 67W fast charging, an in-display fingerprint scanner, Face Unlock, dual SIM 5G connectivity, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, USB Type-C port, 3.5mm audio jack and OxygenOS 13 based on Android 13.
Blog post by Divyanshu Saini - Published at 1/17/2024
Introduction
The newly released Oneplus Nord CE 3 5G is the latest affordable 5G smartphone from Oneplus. Priced at just Rs this smartphone aims to bring 5G connectivity and decent specifications to budget-conscious buyers. In this review, I'll take a close look at the Nord CE 3's design, display, performance, cameras and battery life to see if it's worth the asking price.
Design and Display
The Nord CE 3 features a sleek and modern design with a unibody plastic frame measuring 7.56mm thin and weighing about 173g. The back panel has a beautiful matte finish that comes in Blue and Black color options. I have the Grey Shimmer version which shifts between blue and grey hues when light reflects off it at different angles.
The phone packs a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling and animations. The screen is bright, vivid, and ideal for watching videos or playing games. There’s also a hole-punch cutout at the top left which houses a 16MP front camera.
Performance and Software
Powering the Nord CE 3 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G mobile platform which is focused on delivering next-gen connectivity at an affordable price point. You also get the choice of 6GB or 8GB LPDDR4X RAM options, with either 128GB UFS 2.2 storage.
My 8GB RAM review unit felt consistently smooth during everyday use like web browsing, social media apps, clicking photos etc. Even heavy games like Call of Duty ran decently well, although you may notice some lag at higher graphic settings.
The phone runs OxygenOS 13 which is a clean, bloatware-free interface based on Android 13. Oneplus promises 2 years of Android updates and 3 years of security patches with this device.
Cameras
- 108MP f/1.8 main camera
- 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor
- 2MP f/2.4 macro camera
The primary 108MP sensor captures good amounts of detail in daylight along with vivid colors. However, low light photos can look quite grainy unless you use Nightscape mode.
The additional depth and macro sensors feel mostly like filler, I would’ve preferred an ultra-wide lens instead for landscape shots. Around the front is a Sony IMX471 16MP selfie camera which takes social media ready images
Battery Life
Fueling the Nord CE 3 is a 5000mAh battery which delivers superb battery life even with heavy use. Thanks to 67W rapid charging, you can fully juice up this phone from flat in under 40 minutes. A day and half of usage per charge is easily achievable for most users.
Final Verdict
With competitive pricing, a premium design, 5G support, excellent AMOLED display and dependable battery life - the Nord CE 3 makes a compelling case at its price point. Heavy mobile gamers may want to consider something more powerful like the Poco F4. But as an everyday 5G device for social media, content streaming, videos and photography - the Oneplus Nord CE 3 delivers excellent value.
I hope you enjoyed this review of the latest Affordable Flagship level smartphone from Oneplus! Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions about the Nord CE 3 5G.
